DOHA – Before diving into this week’s short course world championships, Katinka Hosszu and Chad Le Clos were singled out by FINA as their world swimmers of 2014, the first time each has been singled out by the global aquatic sports federation.
In a year that did not include a long course world championships or Olympic Games, FINA’s criteria for selecting the top pool athletes appears to have largerly fallen on results from the FINA World Cup circuit. For the third consecutive year, Hosszu won the overall points totals for the World Cup and set five short course world records in all three individual medley events. As for Le Clos, he won the overall title for the third time in four years by winning all 27 of his races across all seven meets.
FINA WORLD SWIMMERS
Hosszu and Le Clos had great performances outside their World Cup accomplishments in 2014. Hosszu won six medals at the European championships this summer shortly before embarking on her World Cup tour, including gold in the 100 backstroke, 200 IM and 400 IM. Le Clos put in a strong meet at the Commonwealth Games, winning the 100 and 200 butterfly events.
FINA also named the top athletes in the remaining five sport disciplines. The organization also debuted a FINA World Journalist Award, given to Alan Abrahamson for “his contribution to raise the FINA image.” Kuwait’s Sheik Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, a member of the International Olympic Committee and president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, was given the FINA Prize.
Diving Athletes of the Year
Female: Liu Huixia, China
Male: Cao Yuan, China
High Diving Athletes of the Year
Female: Rachelle Simpson, USA
Male: Orlando Duque, Colombia
Open Water Athletes of the Year
Female: Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil
Male: Allan do Carmo, Brazil
Synchronized Swimming Athlete of the Year
Huang Xuechen, China
Water Polo Athletes of the Year
Female: Maggie Steffens, USA
Male: Filip Filipovic, Serbia
STUPID….real swimming takes place long course….not at world cups. Ledecky gets screwed by FINA politics! not even close…
Like it or not Hozzsu has more wins, all 4 strokes and WR’s. If it was a battle for ” High Point” she would win over Ledecky. Ledecky however is the best World Female Distance Swimmer in my book any day.
What a ridiculous statement. Respect the hard work swimmers do in short course!